


The Lost and the Found

by summeryewberry



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Anal Sex, Angst, Cunnilingus, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Grief/Mourning, Multiple Orgasms, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Underage Drinking, Unsafe Sex, Vaginal Fingering, Woman on Top
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-26
Updated: 2017-03-26
Packaged: 2018-10-11 00:03:15
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10450503
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summeryewberry/pseuds/summeryewberry
Summary: At the start of her first winter without Wally, Artemis runs into a dead man walking, who rages at the world maybe even more than she does. She and Jason might both be a bit lost right now, but at least they can find each other, just this one night.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Young Justice and the greater DC universe belong to DC Comics and DC Entertainment. I have no connection with the copyright holders, and I am not making any money off this story. It's provided as free entertainment for anyone reading this. All I own is the particular story on this page. Please don't repost it anywhere else without asking me first.

Artemis stepped out of the liquor store, fist clenched around her carrier box of Corona. They still asked her for ID every time she shopped here, as though she wasn't a regular by now. Artemis blamed her mother's Vietnamese genes for the perpetually young face, but it still irritated her, especially since she wasn't even using fake ID anymore. Now she was actually twenty-one she could legally drink as much as she wanted.

Which she fully intended to do when she got home. Maybe a few rounds with a punching bag first, then a little solo drinking session to wind her down before she actually destroyed something she would later regret. No more death and destruction, except maybe of her own liver and brain-cells.

The contact she'd lost earlier, weighed heavy. One connection. That was all Tigress had needed. But instead, the meet-up had gone to hell with a drive by shooting - good old Gotham fucking City - and now she was back to square one. No contact, no new info, and crime from here to Star City was still intact. It was a bad end to a bad day, and now she just wanted to finish it by blowing off steam.

New flurries were just starting, as Artemis headed out onto the street. Gotham in winter was brutal, and it was starting early this year, a bad sign for what lay ahead. The November gloom was getting her down, and she was not looking forward to this winter. Her first without Wally.

The streets lay thankfully empty at this hour. Only a shopkeeper was bringing in his signs, a woman walked her dog, and up ahead, a lone man hunched his shoulders into a jacket that was far too small for him. The lack of people and the fact that she was a trained vigilante were the only reasons she took note of his walk. The man moved like he knew how to fight, which in this town wasn't unusual, but this was different enough to hold her curiosity. He moved like Batman.

The moment he passed a shop, she caught sight of his reflection in the window.

The ghost of a memory gazed back at her.

"No way!"

Then he was hurrying away. And still, he moved like Batman.

"Wait a minute..." Artemis sped up her steps. The thought made no sense, but she would have sworn she saw Robin in the man's face. Not Dick, the first Robin, nor Tim, the current kid, but the boy who'd come and gone between them.

The second Robin had only joined the Young Justice team briefly before disappearing. Two weeks later they'd learned he had died on the job, and his hologram went up in the hall of memories. Artemis never knew him very well, but she had looked at his holographic face often enough, reminding herself of the consequences they all faced.

She knew what she had seen, and Artemis had learned a long time ago to trust her instincts. That walk and that face, itched at her memories. She knew this man. Of that, she was certain.

"Hey!" she called out.

The man ignored her and crossed the street.

Artemis grimaced and sped up her walk.

She watched him disappear around the corner without so much as a backward glance.

"Oh no, you don't," Artemis said to nobody. She hurried across the street after him, and turned the corner, determined not to lose him so easily.

An empty alley greeted her.

"Cute. You think I don't recognize Bat tactics when I see them?"

No one replied. Icy wind swept the smell of garbage and decay down the alley towards her. Empty walls rose on both sides, but it was already too dark to see into the shadows at the end of the alley. That was where she knew he must be lurking.

"Jason Todd! Get your ass out here right now, before I go crash your brother's place and demand to know where you've been hiding!"

A gun safety clicked off. "I don't have a brother." An unfamiliar voice carried out of the darkness. Which wasn't surprising, since Jason had died as a boy and this was a grown man, but Artemis knew what she had seen. She was certain. And he was supposed to be dead. People who were dead, stayed dead, damnit!

"Right. Whatever. I'll give Dick your regards." She turned her back on the alley.

Years spent under her father's and then Green Arrow's tutelage tripped her danger senses, and Artemis spun back against the wall right as the gunshot sounded. Her box of bottles clinked dangerously against the bricks. On the street, a burst of tar shot into the air.

"Fucking hell, Jason! I paid for that beer fair and square! If you've broken any of my bottles, you will owe me!" Her anger drove the cold away. No one shot at her and got away with it, even if she was wearing her Tigress armor underneath her coat. The point wasn't that no one could hurt her, the point was that he had actively tried. So now he'd just ticked her off more and she was already on a short fuse. "Get out here and face me like a Gothamite, or I swear I will I come in there and punch you in the head!"

"Listen, little girl, how about you hurry home to your precious boyfriend, and I won't shoot you again, yeah?"

Artemis saw red. "Right. That's it." She stalked into the alley, clutching her box all the way. Any other day she would have known how ridiculous she looked, and even more so if she had been wrong about who she was facing, but right now there was pain tearing through her veins, and fire in her belly, and some fellow Gotham-brat she used to know was kicking up a hornets nest in her heart.

The glint of a gun came into view first. His face was still in shadow, but Artemis knew what she'd seen.

"For a start, my boyfriend is dead. Hence the alcohol. And I don't like getting shot at. So you either tell me right now where you've been, Jason, or I'm going to your father and demanding he bring my boyfriend back just like you, you hear me? And if for some godforsaken reason you think this is a joke, I will shoot you myself, with your own gun! Don't think I won't!" Something was wet on her face. No one had seen her cry in a long time, and Artemis' voice rose past the humiliation. "Why the fuck aren't you dead, damnit!"

The figure didn't move. For a moment, only the wind howled through the streets, and weak snowflakes gusted down from the sky. Car tires screeched distantly, and the noise of a siren rose and fell as it passed.

Artemis' throat ached. She was tired of yelling at ghosts, and she sort of hoped Jason would try and pull the trigger again, if only so she could hit this ghost as hard as it deserved. Her fists itched for a good fight again, to pound her rage into something solid.

"I don't know." The voice was so low, Artemis almost missed his words completely.

"What?"

A man stepped forward, so much like Jason, but older. Artemis recognized him not from the boy he'd been, but from the look she saw in the mirror every day: someone worn and cynical, and far too angry at the world.

"I don't know why I'm not dead, Artemis. But I'm sorry about Wally."

She couldn't stop the snort of disbelief. "You hated Wally."

"Yeah well," he didn't deny it, "he still didn't deserve to die."

Artemis stared at the lunk before her. Gone was the skinny kid, and in his place stood a man almost as tall and broad as Batman. It wasn't fair. She hadn't grown at all, and Wally was still dead.

"Asshole!" Artemis' fist met body armor, but the pain in her knuckles at least was a solid feeling. "How long have you been back? Did you even die in the first place?" Her vision was becoming blurry again, but this time she held in the tears.

"Fuck off, Artemis!" he snarled at her. "I crawled out of a Lazarus Pit over a year ago! You don't know what it's like to get jolted to life by screaming horror, with the dead howling in your ears! And then I find out I've been replaced, and that the freak who murdered me is alive and well! I never asked to be brought back, but now I'm here, I'm going to make damn sure no one else goes through what I did! Not even Wally, so you can knock that thought right outta your head!"

The words 'Lazarus Pit' got through to her. Green Arrow had brought her along on a mission once, to a temple that glowed green in the shadow of Om Parvat. The local Hindu population called it a profanity to a sacred mountain. They weren't wrong. She still had nightmares over the screaming from the Pit. Artemis shivered.

On impulse, she stepped forward, meeting the muzzle of his gun. The metal was cold on her forehead, but she didn't look away from his eyes for a second. Slowly, she reached up to squeeze his forearm.

"I'm sorry, Robin."

He tensed, but she didn't let go. He was solid and real as any other living person, and even though they'd never been close, no one should have to come back to life like that. And he'd only been a kid, after all. She still remembered attending his memorial service with the rest of Young Justice.

Jason relaxed slowly. He finally lowered the gun. "I should go. If Batman finds me here, he'll lock me up. Maybe have me committed."

"Why? What did you do?"

Jason shrugged, too casual to be real. "I tried to blow him up."

It was testament to how often her own messed up family had tried to kill her, that Artemis didn't even blink. Most of what she knew about the Bats came from Dick, and the family didn't strike her as too deadly, but they all led a pretty dangerous life, and she knew things had a way of getting complicated like that.

Instead, she shoved her box of beers at him. "Here. The least you can do is carry my booze after that."

"I'm not going with you," Jason protested, but he did catch her carton when she dropped it in his arms.

"I have a place the team doesn't know about. You'll be safe there. I'll even share my beer with you." Artemis started walking, trusting he'd follow. She wasn't even sure why she was dragging him along like this, but he was a familiar face in a cold city, and he didn't look at her with pity. Maybe it was the hurt she saw behind his eyes, and the anger she recognized so well. Either way, she couldn't just walk away from him. Not now.

Jason sighed behind her. "If you're planning on selling me out to the Justice League, I really will shoot you," but there was no heat in his words, like he didn't really believe she'd do that.

"I haven't spoken to them in months," Artemis said, slowing her steps so that he could fall in beside her. "You're not the only one who's gone solo."

They walked side by side in silence. The last few blocks before her base became darker and rougher, even by Gotham City standards. Some of the street lights were busted, and more windows were boarded up than not.

Her warehouse stood in the middle of a vacant lot that had once been covered in concrete, but now had more weeds growing through the cracks than there was cement left on the ground.

The lock on her door was rusted, and she had to jiggle it just right to get it to pop open, but inside was her home, at least for the moment.

Artemis stepped aside to hit the light switches, and thumped the heater into working. With a rattle, it started blowing warm air.

Jason let the door fall shut behind them. "Nice place," he remarked without inflection.

"Shut up. I know for a fact that we've both stayed in worse."

It was only a small warehouse, most of it taken up by her training area, but a mattress in the corner was good enough to sleep on, and the small office area off to the side provided her kitchen and bathroom. She didn't need any more than that.

When she dropped her coat onto the balance beam, Jason stared at her costume.

"You're Tigress?" It was less surprise, more curiosity.

"Heard of me?"

"Tigress is a badass! Efficient. Kinda ruthless. Wasn't really the focus of my intel though."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Artemis headed for the kitchen, and took her box with her. Maybe she should have been more cautious with her cape ID, but it wasn't like she had much of a civilian identity left. Not anymore. Not after Wally.

She ripped open her box. "You want one?"

"Sure. Why not?" Jason shrugged, and she tossed him one of the glass bottles. He caught it perfectly in mid-air. His Robin-reflexes clearly hadn't gone to waste.

Artemis cracked open one of her own and gulped down half the bottle before she could think twice. It slid down her throat, cool and calming. Finally, she could relax.

Jason opened his bottle with bare hands and leaned back against her kitchen counter while he took a distracted drink. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. The hint of stubble on his throat and jaw was new too.

"I probably shouldn't have offered," Artemis mused out loud. "Are you even legal to drink yet?"

"Did it ever stop you?" Jason shot back.

"Fair point." She took another long drink, letting it calm her.

"Turned eighteen in August," Jason mumbled into his bottle. "If you don't count the death thing."

They finished their drinks in silence, but it wasn't an unpleasant silence. Jason didn't talk as much as Artemis remembered; now he brooded more. Maybe death had that effect on a person. What would she know?

It was nice to have some undemanding company though. Her rickety heater cranked the air slowly warmer, and Artemis found herself enjoying the quiet company. Especially with someone she used to know and work with. Had it really been two years?

Jason's hands were broader now, where he held his bottle, and dark hair dusted his knuckles. He'd become a man in his absence.

For the first time since Wally's death, Artemis realized she was alone with a man.

"Back when you were Robin," Artemis began, leaning against her sink, "after Dick left and you joined Young Justice, Wally always thought you had a crush on me."

Jason's mouth quirked in a grin, and there was the boy she'd been familiar with. "Oh, he was right. That's part of why I hated him."

"Figures."

Jason sobered. "Sorry. I know I'm a jerk, but it seems kinda shitty to hate a dead guy."

"You're fine," Artemis tried to wave him off, even as her heart clenched.

"No, I'm not. I haven't been fine in a long time," Jason chugged the rest of his bottle.

The topic was getting too morbid for her. Even though she'd bought the alcohol with every intention of wallowing, now she didn't feel like it any more. Not now that she had company. One who used to have a crush on her, and had since turned into such a good-looking man himself.

Artemis dumped her empty bottle in the sink.

She gathered her hair over her shoulder and turned her back to Jason. "Unzip me?"

Jason put his drink down slowly. "Artemis, what?"

"Go on. You can make up for trying to shoot me in the head."

"I wouldn't shoot you in the head," Jason said slowly. "I was aiming for your kneecap."

"Were you always this dense as Robin? Or are you actually trying to be a gentleman right now? I'm single, I'm lonely as fuck, and I kinda get the impression you are too. Because in case I was too subtle, I'm trying to hit on you over here."

Jason stared at her a moment longer. Then he put down his bottle.

"Here," he straightened and reached for her hair, "you missed a bit."

His hand was warm and callused, but gentle as he stroked the strands of hair from the nape of her neck, guided them over her shoulder, and out of the way.

"Thanks." The softness of her own voice surprised even her.

Jason was silent as he found the zipper at the back of her costume, and slowly tugged it down. He was so careful with it, almost reverent, with the same hands that had trained a gun on her only a little while earlier.

She could hear his breath in the still warehouse, and air touched her back as her skin was bared. He stopped at the small of her back.

"Thank you," Artemis turned to face him again.

His eyes were greener than she remembered, and darker, and she had to look up to meet his gaze now. That was new too. He smelled of leather and gun metal, and faintly like alcohol. Not a hit of tobacco smoke like he had on occasion when he was sixteen. About the only things that hadn't changed were his black hair, and his Gotham-downs accent, which remained the same as hers. Still, Artemis couldn't help but compare the differences. She decided she liked what she saw now.

As if he heard her thoughts, Jason spoke. "You're still as amazing as I remember you being. Maybe even a bit cooler than I thought you were, Tigress."

For the first time, Artemis felt a smile tug at her lips.

His hands rose to settle on her shoulders. There was only a slight tremor of hesitation in them, before he started rolling her costume off her shoulders, giving her plenty of time to change her mind.

She didn't.

A whisper of heater-warmed air ghosted over her collarbones, then her biceps. Jason held her gaze as the Tigress armor fell from her body, and then she was standing bare-chested in front of him. Artemis peeled the costume off her own arms and wrists, letting Jason look. It had been a while since she'd been naked with anyone, and just standing here was doing wonders for her libido.

The top half of her costume dangled from her waist, and Artemis looked up to find Jason's eyes again.

He was looking at her with a hunger she hadn't seen or felt in a long time. Arousal warmed in her loins, and she took a step forward, to push Jason's jacket off his shoulders.

He got the picture quickly, and together they stripped him of his body armor in a few quick movements.

Jason's abs flexed as they were revealed, scarred far less than hers, but to Artemis, they were perfect. Clothes fell to the floor, and she closed the distance between them by wrapping her arms around those broad shoulders. The sheer size of Jason's bulk stunned her now. And he'd gained all this in two short years?

His face came down to her, and when their lips met, it was hard and hungry. Jason's tongue was in her mouth and his arms around her back, and all at once there was nothing but naked skin for her to feel. His mouth was hot, and she dove into that welcoming heat with a passion that came out of nowhere.

Five months without Wally. Five months without the touch of another human being. She hadn't even realized the extent of her own need until she was right here, in the arms of a dead man.

Artemis tightened her grip in Jason's hair, pressing herself closer. Her breasts pushed up against warm flesh, very much alive, so close she could feel the beat of Jason's heart against her skin.

His hands flattened on her back, holding her to him, and the hard curve of his pants became very clear all of a sudden. Artemis warmed at the feel of it. To know someone wanted her, to feel that desire again, there was no way she couldn't respond to that. Warmth pooled between her legs, and if she didn't get out of her pants in a hurry she was going to make a mess of her costume.

She broke the kiss. "The mattress."

Jason's breath hushed over her lips. His mouth was glistening. "Yeah."

Artemis took his hand to lead him out to her sleeping corner. It hadn't seemed worth it to invest in a bed. Not when all she needed were clean sheets and a roof over her head.

She stopped to kick off her boots, aware that Jason was watching her every move. It only turned her on more, and when she looked back over her shoulder, he was following her lead. Without stopping to think, and before she could have second thoughts, Artemis pushed the rest of her costume down her legs.

It was still chilly in the big room, and her skin erupted in goosebumps. In just her panties, the heater's lack was obscenely obvious.

Artemis kicked her suit against the wall, and turned to find Jason stepping out of his pants. The outline of his cock through his briefs made her flood even more wet than she already was. God, she was deprived and horny.

"Come on," Artemis said, sitting down on the mattress, and shuffling back to make room.

Jason was shamelessly staring, his eyes drinking in the sight of her, like a starved man.

"Been a while for you too?" she asked.

He knelt down beside her on the mattress. "You could say that." It was only for a second that Jason's eyes went distant, but that was long enough for her to know she'd hit on a sore spot.

Artemis reached up in apology, to touch his chest. "Forget it. Let's just enjoy the here and now, okay?" Dark hair dusted his chest, not as thick as some of the older men she'd been with, but it was well on the way there. If he hadn't finished growing yet, one day he was going to be huge. Now, that was a hot thought!

Jason nodded, and leaned forward to kiss her again.

Everything else stopped mattering.

He kissed like he was drowning, and all he wanted to do was hold onto her for dear life. His hands cupped her face, rough skin and gentle touch. One hand slid to hold the back of her head as he teased her mouth open and plunged inside.

Artemis relaxed in his touch. His hands were so warm, heating her skin to the touch, and his tongue nudged hers playfully. She could get used to this.

Jason's free hand traced her cheek, outlined her jaw with one finger all the way to the juncture of her ear, before trailing downwards. It was like he was getting to know her again, or maybe for the first time. His finger touched her breast, brushing over the nipple with a feather-light touch.

Artemis sucked in her breath. No one had touched her like this is in far too long, and her heart ached with each beat.

She held onto Jason's shoulders as she let him lower her down on the sheets. They were cold at her back, but his hands were hot, and already Jason's touch was traveling lower. She let him touch as he pleased, content to be explored and be loved, for now.

They broke the kiss, breathing hard. His hand had settled on her belly, and her muscles jumped at the contact.

"I have wanted this so long, Artemis," he breathed into the space between their lips.

She ran her hands up and down his back, feeling the curves of muscle and bone. A few scars stood out prominently, but it didn't take away from the beautiful stretch of skin. She pressed her fingertips into the dip of his spine. So much wonderful, warm skin for her to touch.

"You feel good too, Jason."

He nipped at her lips once. "What do you want?" Twice. "Tell me what you want me to do."

She smiled against the quick and easy kisses. "Keep doing exactly what you're doing. I just want to feel with someone again."

He kissed her again, slowly this time, catching her lips in a kiss more sweet than anything before. She needed more. Wanted something harder.

"Touch me, Jason."

His kisses fell to her neck, his hand slid between her legs, and Artemis arched into the feel of it.

"Yes!"

Jason cupped her mound over the fabric that still separated them, but the heat of his skin radiated easily through the thin layer of cotton. His stubble scratched her collarbone, and Artemis craned her neck to give him more access.

She wasn't cold anymore. The heat between them made the whole warehouse warm as spring.

She lifted one leg over Jason's hip, hitching him closer, and opening herself up wider in one movement. His erection prodded her in the hip, and he exhaled sharply when she rolled her pelvis.

"Jesus, Artemis!"

She grinned and buried one hand in his thick hair. He was circling the wet spot on her panties with one finger, and by now she was so wet she could feel the swell of her outer lips, sensitized and full of arousal.

He didn't need any further encouragement.

A tug to push her underwear aside, and Jason was touching her bare skin

Artemis sighed. Just as she'd thought, his fingertips slipped on her wetness, spreading her lubrication up and down the slit. All the while Jason's hips moved tiny inches, pushing against her, not enough to build up any real friction, but enough that she was very aware of his hardness ever present beside her.

The rustle of sheets, the sound of gasped breaths, and the scent of sex filled the air, familiar, and at the same time unfamiliar in this place, with this man.

His hot breath on her neck shifted, and Jason was up on one elbow, shuffling to change his position. His eyes were very dark, his skin flushed, and Artemis watched with baited breath as he flicked his tongue against her nipple.

"Jason..." Short hair at the back of his neck slipped through her fingers.

"I love hearing you say my name," he smirked, and kissed that same nipple.

"Jason," she gave him a small smile.

"Mm?" he circled the hard little nub with his tongue. The air was cold in the wake of it.

Then he slipped one finger inside her.

"Oh! Jason!"

He grinned and took her breast in mouth in earnest. His finger slid deep, her wetness giving him access. All Artemis could do in return was hold onto him and feel it all.

She wondered how often he'd dreamed of doing this with her. Had he ever watched her spar and fantasized about touching her inside and out the way he was doing now? The thought made her shiver.

Jason's face was pure bliss when he lifted it to meet her eyes again. They didn't even need to say anything. He understood whatever he saw on her face, and began kissing a trail down her middle.

Something deep in Artemis' chest ached, but she pushed it aside. Like she had told him, here and now was more important, and if there was anything she loved in bed, it was being covered in worship.

Jason's free hand trailed down her chest to tease her other breast for just a moment before he sat up. She had to let him go then, as he shifted further down the bed. His touch withdrawn left her empty and wanting, but maybe not for long.

Artemis was already panting. Thankfully, so was he.

"Can I...?"

Artemis lifted her hips and slid off her panties before he could even finish the sentence. When she dropped down again, his hand settled on her knee.

Their eyes met.

Jason smiled properly for the first time all day, the same smile he'd had as a boy on the team. It made her heart beat strangely fast, but before she could question what that might or might not mean, he was already nudging her knees apart.

Despite it all, the motion made a thrill of nerves shoot through her belly. Now he could see everything, with Artemis spread out before him, and her face filled with heat. Which was stupid, because Artemis hadn't been a blushing virgin since she was fifteen, but it wasn't often she let someone else take the reins like this. Maybe she was just feeling lazy today.

Jason smoothed over her lips with both hands, still so gentle. Then his finger slid inside her again, and he was sinking down over her clit.

She gasped something and tangled her fingers in his hair again. That sealed it. Jason was officially good with his tongue. And she told him so.

He circled her clit with the wet tip, applying just enough pressure that she could feel the tease of it.

"I always wanted to do this," he confirmed, and gave her hardened nub a kiss. "I used to watch you stretching before our training sessions, wishing I was between your thighs." He lapped at her, with a smooth and flat tongue, and Artemis twitched and rocked her hips towards him. "And then I'd have to go and jerk off before I could spar with you without embarrassing myself."

"So that's why you were always late. Pervert."

He chuckled, pulled back his hand and added a second finger. His were much broader than her own fingers, and Artemis felt the stretch sinking in her this time.

"That feels good," she sighed.

Jason sank back down and took her into his mouth, sucking in earnest now. At the same time, he screwed his fingers deep inside her.

Artemis moaned aloud.

They didn't talk anymore.

He pumped his fingers slowly at first, pushing in and out of her in long strokes, letting them both get used to the motion and the feel of it. When he sank to the knuckle as deep as he could, and drew her clit into his mouth at the same time, Artemis' mouth fell open. The only noises she could make now were gasps and groans.

He was completely focused on her now, his eyelashes fluttering as he worked her.

They quickly found a rhythm between hands and lips and Artemis rolling her hips up to meet him, and soon he was screwing her hard against his mouth.

Everything else fell away. Only the rising pleasure between her legs mattered.

Liquid rolled down her slit, dripped down her crack, and sweat trickled down her legs. Artemis dragged loud breaths into her lungs.

She knew she was making noise but she didn't care. Jason was pumping two fingers deep inside her, and his clever mouth sucked and played with her clit like he just couldn't get enough of it.

One experimental finger brushed her anus, testing what she liked, and a thrill went up her spine.

"God, Jason! Please!" Artemis heard her voice ring off the ceiling. She didn't care that she was begging, if only it would bring her more of that wonderful touch.

He pushed, and the tight hole gave way for him to slide into her other entrance too.

Artemis bucked. Muscles tensed and she cried out.

Jason pulled her through the orgasm with a hard drag on her clit.

Heat rolled through her, and a dam broke inside.

The next thing Artemis knew was that she was collapsing on the bed and she was gasping sobs she didn't understand.

Jason was beside her in an instant, his arms wrapping around her. "Hey..." his voice was soft and confused.

Artemis curled into him, not knowing what was wrong, only that her heart ached and ached.

"You're all right, Artie. You're going to be all right."

His words only vaguely registered as she began to cry in earnest. His skin was hot and damp, but the darkness of his embrace was safe, and that thought only made her insides hurt more. Only Wally had ever made her feel this safe, and he was gone. The hole in her heart tore and bled all over again.

Jason held her as she sobbed. Rubbed her back slowly through it.

It took a long time for the pain to ebb, and Artemis took even longer to get herself under control again. Along with her tears, the ache receded, dull and blunted by time once again.

As her tears finally ran dry, and she drew a shaky breath.

She still didn't move. She couldn't. The last time she'd broken down like that had been in front of Wally's parents. The super-villains in her family had scorned most of the tears out of her a long time ago, and she couldn't bring herself to face Jason now, not after he'd seen her come apart in the worst possible way.

But he was still holding her, and Artemis took advantage of her mortification to stay where she was a little longer. And if he thought she was just being a soppy girl, she could still knock his teeth out later.

"It's him, isn't it?" She heard Jason's voice through his chest when he spoke. He didn't need to say who "him" was. Wally's memory was still too present too ignore.

"I am really fucked up." She pushed out of his arms, and rolled onto her back. "Sorry about that."

"Guess that makes two of us," he shrugged.

She finally looked up, finding his sweat-damp hair, and the the shine of her fluids still on his chin. "I think you're fine," she avoided his eyes by wiping the slick off his chin. "You're not the nut-job who broke down on her first lay in five months."

"Nah, I'm the nut-job who hears the Pit screaming in his head until I blow away another crime lord just to shut the damn thing up."

The fact that he was admitting to killing people didn't shock Artemis. Maybe it should have, but she'd seen him handle a firearm, and recognized the change in his eyes. He wasn't Robin anymore. Whoever Jason was now, he was also the stupidly caring guy in bed with her right now.

She scratched at the drying sweat on her stomach, felt the wetness leaking between her legs, and shrugged as casually as she could. "So we're both a mess, and maybe this was a terrible idea, but you know what the worst thing is about this? I still want to bang you so hard we can't see straight."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "You're only realizing the potential complications now?"

"Told you I was fucked up. Besides, if you knew this was a bad idea from the start, why'd you agree to it?"

"You're hot," Jason's crooked smile appeared again. "And I'm not really known for my stellar judgment."

Artemis relaxed again. This was more familiar footing for her. "And you're still hard," she pointed out. Then again, he was an eighteen year-old man with a naked woman in front of him.

"Yeah," he agreed, completely unashamed. "So you ready for another round of fucking up our feelings on each other, or do you need a moment?"

Artemis decided she had had enough. She sat up and started tugging on Jason's briefs. "I'm a woman of many talents," she told him, yanking down the wet piece of clothing when he raised his hips to help her, "including multiple orgasms."

"Lucky you." Jason dropped flat on the mattress again. His cock rose confident and full from the tangle of dark hair at his crotch.

"No, lucky you," Artemis said, throwing a leg over him to straddle his hips.

Jason's eyes widened satisfyingly.

The realization struck Artemis too late. "Shit, I don't have any condoms." The last thing she wanted was an unplanned pregnancy.

"Plenty of other things we can do," Jason reminded her.

Artemis mulled over their options for a moment, trailing one absent finger up and down his cock. Jason's eyes fluttered again in a way she was beginning to recognize as pleasure. He had a nice cock, she decided: wild and determined like him, maybe a bit thinner than average, but with beautiful veins, so responsive to her touch. She liked the way it nestled in her groin, ready and waiting, all for her.

"Okay." Artemis hitched herself up, and sank down on Jason's cock in one swift move.

"Jesus!" Jason cried out. "I thought you said you didn't have any condoms."

"Mmm." He sat full and hot inside her, and Artemis immediately felt herself starting to leak all over again. Damn, he felt good. She circled her hips, spreading her fluids all over him.

Jason moaned as if on command. She'd have to come back to this another time.

"I'm getting you lubed up," she explained.

"Huuh?" his question degenerated into a moan when she rose up again, and shoved him hard back inside her. Too bad that wasn't for this time.

Holding his cock with one hand, she rose on her knees, sliding off him and inspected her handiwork. His cock glistened with clear wetness, and a string of her fluids still clung to the head. She grinned.

Shuffling forward, she guided his cock to her other hole. When the tip was nuzzling her entrance, she paused.

"This okay?" She knew he'd gone for her ass before, but that didn't automatically mean he'd want to screw her there.

Jason was breathing hard. His face and chest were flushed and already shining with sweat. He nodded and swallowed hard. "You're not even stretched properly..." he began.

But Artemis was already lowering herself, feeling the resistance of her ass push back against Jason's cock in her hand. "This isn't my first time, Jason. I'll be fine."

Even so, she felt the burn of stretching, and tilted her hips for a better angle. Her heartbeat went wild when the broad head pushed her open. She knew she'd be sore afterwards, but right now the burn was just exciting enough to make her want more. She pushed down on Jason's cock, heard him curse, and after another slow inch the head was inside her.

Jason's eyes were dark, his pupils dilated and hazy, and she knew in that instant that they were going to be okay. Messed up people or not, they had something in common, they understood each other, and their bodies were in concert enough to make it all worth it.

Inch, by slow, aching inch, she edged down on his hardness. Her fluids eased the way slightly, but she was still so tight she had to be careful. Everything was so tight, so hot and hard inside her. Something ran down the inside of her leg, and Artemis realized she was leaking wetness again. She hadn't been this turned on in a very long time.

When she couldn't take any more of him, she stopped.

She had to support herself with her other hand, and now she was on all fours above Jason's body, connected by one intimate act.

"Holy fuck, Artemis," Jason said. They were both breathing hard and he raised a hand to stroke her thigh, more tenderly than she would ever have given him credit for. "You okay?"

She smiled at the concern in his voice. "Yeah, give me a minute to adjust." She had to crane her neck to reach his mouth, and pecked him lightly.

He kissed her back, and a moment later deepened the kiss. One of his hands slid into her hair again, the other stayed on her thigh, not pushing, just stroking slowly across her skin.

Jason's mouth opened eagerly to her, hot and wet, and it was still as good as before. Their tongues slid together, familiar now, and less hurried, just enjoying the kiss for its own sake.

Artemis relaxed gradually. Her ass still twinged, but bit by bit the muscles accepted this new intrusion.

Jason was still hard and full inside her, but he held himself still, waiting for her to set the pace. Whatever had happened to him to change him into the man he was now, he was still a good person underneath. Artemis had enough experience to know a gentleman from a jackass to know which side Jason leaned towards. Even if he would deny it.

She broke their kiss on a smile, and rocked her hips back.

Jason hissed into her mouth. "Artemis!"

Her movements were still small, letting her own body lead the way for both of them, only tiny rocks of her hips, back and forth. Jason's fingers twitched on her leg, and he panted into her hair.

"Think you can last a little bit longer?" she asked.

Jason laughed on a breath. "Not too much longer if you keep it up like that."

Artemis took his hand from her hair and threaded their fingers together. His eyes held questions and full blown lust when she pushed herself up on his chest. His cock slid inside easier, deeper, and for a moment she doubted she'd be able to hold out much longer herself. If she hadn't already come, she certainly would have by now.

She guided his hand between her legs, exactly where it had been before, and his fingers slid home like they belonged there. His thumb settled on her clit.

"Fuck, Artemis..." He curled his fingers, and Artemis rocked towards him. The only end to his sentence was a deep moan.

She kept rolling her hips slowly. Pleasure loosened her muscles easier, and Jason's breathy groans were possibly the most beautiful sound she'd ever heard from him. His bright gaze clung to her, and her name sounded like a prayer on his lips.

He was so deep inside her, stroking the tender skin inside, and the massage on her clit, sent her mind spiraling. It was all so overwhelming.

Artemis dropped her head back, unable to hold the intensity of his gaze.

"Artie, I... I can't hold on..." His chest was slick with sweat under her palms, muscles bunching, breathing hard.

Artemis closed her eyes just to feel, and spread her legs as wide as she could. Everything was so hot inside and out. Dampness slicked her thighs, covered Jason's hips and hands, as they moved together.

Her ass burned, Artemis pushed down harder against it, spreading herself wide and open.

Jason gave a startled cry, bucked and jerked up into her. His fingers locked on her thigh, clenching as he came.

Artemis rocked forward hard, crushing his hand against her clit, and came for a second time only a moment later.

Heat covered her, dripped off her skin, and filled her lungs. Her body trembled, and when the wave of pleasure left her, she could only collapse onto Jason's chest.

His cock slid out of her with ease, fell against her thigh, wet and spent.

He was still panting and glassy eyed. "Oh my god," he said.

Artemis' knees trembled in the aftermath, and she stayed resting on his chest, only because she didn't think she could move any further right now.

Jason's arms came around her, and held her tight.

For a little while they just lay together, letting the heat leave their bodies, letting their breathing return to normal.

The air gradually cooled her skin, making Artemis aware of the liquid mess between them, wet and reeking of sex. When she finally moved to climb off him, their skin stuck together with various bodily fluids, and she grimaced.

"We're disgusting," she said, peeling herself away.

Jason started laughing deep in his chest. "Now we're a real mess in more ways than one."

As weak as her legs were right now, Artemis fell on her side next to him. "Yeah. But that was pretty good," she admitted.

"More than good," he said.

How had she not noticed his crush, Artemis wondered. With the way he was looking at her now, his feelings hadn't changed all that much since then. Something dangerously close to affection shone in his green eyes.

She rolled onto her back to avoid his gaze. Her ass cooled and stopped burning in that position, so she stayed that way.

"You're amazing," Jason continued anyway.

Artemis shrugged, uncomfortable at the way this conversation was going. "Why? Because sometimes I like to cram a cock in my ass? It's not really different to any other kind of sex. And it's fun pushing the edges of something, finding how far you can go, how far your body can go. I'm still buying condoms though, so we can do everything else we want in the future."

"I mean, I get that," Jason nodded. "But I was talking about you being pretty damn amazing in general. Wait... what do you mean, the future?" He didn't exactly stiffen, but maybe that was Bat-training.

"If you're interested," Artemis added. "You know how this city gets hellishly cold in winter, and I'm not exactly looking forward to facing it alone. So maybe I could use a friend. I'm off the team, and I don't want to join them again; too many memories there. But if you want a hook-up every once in a while, I'm up for it."

Jason was quiet for a minute. "What are you offering, Artemis?" He asked at last. "I'm not good at team-ups. But I'm wouldn't mind seeing you again."

Her heart lurched painfully. "No strings," she said quickly. "I'm not up for anything more than friends with benefits right now. Maybe some sparring sessions or exchanging information, but I can't commit to anything more than that."

Jason sunk back into silence. It stretched so long that she was beginning to wonder if he was going to answer her at all.

"Are you going to try and stop me from killing people who don't deserve to live?" he asked her lowly.

Artemis hesitated. She wasn't a fan of killing people; there was too much death in the world already. But it wasn't like she was dead-set against it either, like Superman or Batman were. She also wasn't Jason, and he certainly didn't owe her any explanations. "Not if it's as a last resort," she settled on, finally. "So long as you're not killing indiscriminately, it's none of my business."

Jason relaxed and watched her face. "Yeah, okay, I guess I can live with that then."

"Thanks for the enthusiasm," Artemis drawled, but she smiled to take the sting out of the tease.

Jason poked her in the ribs. "You know I loved being with you, but I'm not exactly a team player, so don't rely on me too much in that department."

She gave him a skeptical look, but didn't feel up to arguing the point right now. "Look, let's just take it one day at a time. No promises, no commitments," she said. "Deal?"

"Deal."

"All right," Artemis wiggled into the sheets. "I'm gonna have a nap before I drag myself into the shower. Feel free to join me."

This time there was no hesitation. Jason settled down beside her, stretched out and calm. "Gladly," he said.

It was the last thing she heard before she drifted off into a contented doze.  



End file.
